Good Weekend

Yesterday, I gave a lecture as part of being the invited Guest Artist at the Q.U.I.L.T.. Inc quilt show in Ravena, NY. Standing in front of about 20 pieces of my crazy quilting, I babbled on about how I make my art and a little of the why. The guild was wonderful. The audience was very receptive. I do believe there were a few who were enticed to make their own crazy quilt.

It has been a nice stretch of weather for the garden as well. DH took a few days off from work to stretch out the weekend. Five new fruit trees went in: Dwarf varieties of McIntosh, Granny Smith and Winesap apples, a Belle of GA peach and a Bing cherry. We are waiting on an order of cider apples as well: Fameuse, Sops of Wine, Sheepnose and Calville Blanc. These are in addition to the white peaches, Medlar, Quince, Empire apple, Seckel pear, Asian pear, Montmorency cherry, Black Gold cherry, Roxbury Russet apple, Luscious Pear, Ashmead's Kernel apple, Cox's Orange Pippin apple, Black Oxford apple and two unknown apples which were here when we moved in.

We also ordered some boysenberries - although they are marginally hardy here. DH loves the jam so much, we had to take a chance and try to grow our own. We were very impressed with the plant quality from our order to Burnt Ridge Nursery. In addition to the 10 boysenberries, we ordered a goumi, Chinese Hawthorne, 2 more Schisandra (we have 2 already), 3 hazlenuts to add to our row of hazlenuts, a Korean nut pine, 2 more Oregon grapes and a tea plant. The tea isn't hardy here, but will join my coffee plant as a houseplant.

Sometime this year, I will put together a complete (?) list of plants we have growing. Who wants to volunteer for that particular project? :-)

Herbs Popping Up In The Yard

It's April 9 and spring sure is slow in making its presence known. In fact yesterday and the day before, we had snow flurries. Today the temperature is reading warmer, but the howling winds still feel brisk! As I was walking around the garden, I noted several herbs that are emerging from their slumber. Here are a few of the many herbs:

Sweet Violet, not the common blue. Smells and tastes oh, so sweet!

Rhodiola. Looks pretty ugly now, but soon it will be filled with rosettes!
Ramps. Delicious wild food!


Angelica just coming up.


Celandine, with its bright orange sap. The appearance of celandine in the spring also harkens the arrival of tree swallows. Sure enough, I saw a pair today.

Coltsfoot, or Son-Before-the-Father, as the flowers show up before the leaves.
Maral Root unfurling.
Stinging Nettles - a power house of nutrients.
Sweet Cicely.
The joy of spring is that every day new life is shown.